Storage bin or hopper



Jan. 26 1926. 1,570,795

u. c. 'rAlNToN STORAGE BIN 0R HOPPER4 Filed August 20, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 2s ,1926. 1,570,795

/43 v l tiiarrya.

Patented Jan. 26, 1926 UNiTED STATES umass PATENT oi-"Fical URLYN C. TAINTON, 0F JOHANNESBUEG, SOUTH AFRICA.

STORAGE BIN OB HOPPEB. l

iippiicatian nica August 2o, i924. semi no. 'Isaias To all whom it may concern.'

Beit known that I, UREYN, C. TAIN'roN, a British subject, residing at Johannesburg.I Transvaal Province, Union of South Africa,

rhave invented new and useful Improvements in Storage Bins or Hoppers, of which the following is a specication.

In many industrial or manufacturing operations vit is necessary to withdraw a granular or powdered material l from a storage receptacle, and feed it either conv vtype of hopper or bin on account of the tendency of many finely-divided or slightly damp materials to stick to the sides of the container. Where, as in many cases, it is necessary to have a uniform feed of the material'to some other point, this sticking or holding up of the material is very objectionable, and many devices, such as Scrapers, moving chains, etc., have' been proposed and employed in order to overcome this difiiculty.

These devices, however, suffer from the defects of being often unreliable, relatively expensive, and rather apt to get out of order. In addition a special type of bin or hopperconstruction is usually required.

By means of the device here presented, these difficulties are obviated. The system is entirely reliable, simple, and can be adapted to any type of bin construction.

According to the resent invention, the wall of the bin, pre erably the conical or sloping Wall, is covered with a sheet of some nir-tigtlit material, such as rubber or rubberized fabric. This sheet is attached all around its edges to the Wall of the bin, said wall being made of,or covered with, a sheet of metal or other impermeable material.

Arrangements are made for introducing a small quantity of compressed air intermittently behind the fabric or rubber so that the latter is distended and the material ly- 'ing thereon iS pushed er lifted away from the wall. The pressure is thereu n released and the material then fal s back again. The operation is repeated as desired, making it impossible for the material to adhere to the sides of the bin.

The arrangementis Vshown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a central vertical4 section of a hopper showing the application of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a lan view of the same.

Figs. 3 van 4 are sectional views of the three-way valve employed, which. controls the flow of air by which the flexible bottom sections are intermittently inflated and l exhausted.

Fig. 5 is a central vertical `section of a modified form of the hopper.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the saine.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, A indicates a hopper constructed of sheet metal orany other suitable material. This hop er is provided with. a screw conveyor 2 isposedin the bottom thereof and passing through one wall. On the sloping walls of the hopper, rubber. diaphragms 3 are placed and attached to the walls all around the edges bymetal strips 4. 4Compressed air is led in behind these diaphragms by means of pipes 5, leadin from a com ressed air receiver 6 at 'suitab e pressure. etween the source of air supply and the diaphragm, a three-way cock 7 1s inserted in the pipe line, and this cock is actuated by suitable mechanism 8 so that compressed air is alternately blown in behind the diaphra and then allowed to exhaust. The puverized material 9 lying against ythe diaphragms is thus positively prevented from adhering to the side of the bin, and feeds steadily down to the bottom as it is withdrawn. For the screw conveyor may be substituted any other appropriate device, such as a belt conveyor or rotating disc, etc.

An example of the application of the invention to another type of bin "is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Here 10 represents a bin of standard type havinga track over the top of it so that railroad cars 11 can be dumped tacheti to the plate by metal stri s 14 in such a way as to produce a number o panels. At

slimes, etc.

each of these panels an air line' 15 is introduced, and this ipe is connected through a reciprocating three-way cock, to a source of compressed air as above described.

The pulverized material is dropped' on top of the diaphragms. The pulsating movement of these, as the air is alternately admitted and released, results in a constant movement of the mass of material and positively prevents any chance of sticking or clogging.

.This type of bin has proved very effective for the feeding of sticky or very finely divided materials, such as flour, sugar, slaked lime, damp concentrates, dried ore It'is clear that many modifications o the idea can be devised to meet various conditions, and I do not limit my self to the particular forms described. For example, the diaphragms may be protected in any desired manner, for instance with metal plates, or the diaphragms may themselves .be made of iexible metal sheets. Again, the feeder at the base of the bin can sometimes be dispensed with, and the material allowed to fiow through a regular opening, under the influence of the pulsating movement of the diaphragm.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A method of inducing movement in a mass of granular or pulverulent material, which consists., in depositing the material on a resilient "support disposed on an incline, and imparting a relatlvely small movement to the resilient support in a direction away from the material.

2. A method of inducing movement in a mass of granular or pulverulent material, which consists in depositing the material on a resilient support disposed on an incline7 and imparting a pulsating movement to the resilient support.

3. A method of inducing movement in a mass of granular or pulverulent material, which consists in depositing the material on a pneumatically inflatable resilient support disposed on an incline and intermittently inflating and deflating said support.

4. In a hopper of the character described, an inclined bottom section, a resilient member carried by the bottom section and forming a support for material deposited in the hopper, and means for imparting a' pulsating movement to said resilient member.

5. In a hopper of the character described, an inclined bottom section, a resilient member carried by the bottom section and forming a support for material deposited in the hopper, and means for pneumatically imparting a pulsating 'movement to said member.

6. In a hopper of the character described, an inclined bottom section, an infiatable resilient member interposed between the bottom section and material contained in the hopper, and means for automatically and intermittently infiating and deflating said member.

7. In a hopper of the character described, a pair of opposed inclined bottom sections, the lower ends of said bottom sections being separated to form a discharge opening, a sheet of rubber for each bottom section, each sheet being secured along its outer edges n the bottom section to form pneumatic air chambers, a pipe connected with said air chambers, said pipe being connected with a source of air under pressure, and means for intermittently admitting and exhausting air from said chambers.

8. In a hopper of the character described, a pair of opposed inclined bottom sections, the lower ends of said bottom sections being separated to form a discharge opening, a sheet of rubber for each bottom section, each sheet being secured along its outer edges to the bottom section to form pneumatic air chambers, a pipe connected with said air chambers, said pipe being connected with a source of air under pressure, means for intermittently admitting and exhausting air from said chambers, and a conveyor disposed below the discharge opening of the hopper.

URLYN o. TAiN'roN. 

